Blue Ribbons
by Houndingwolf
Summary: AU. Keiko, Shizuru, Botan, and Yukina go to the same riding barn. It sounds pretty dumb, but you may like what you find. Reviews are greatly appreciated! hint hint
1. Beginnings

Since I go riding, I just randomly came up with this fic. Also, a lot of the horses I know act like people from Yu Yu Hakusho. But you don't want to hear me ramble, do you? So on with the fanfic.

I don't own YYH.

*

"Keiko, bring him back down to the trot. I want to see you do that outside line{1} again," Genkai called. She kept her keen eyes trained on the girl, every so often turning her wheelchair around to face her student. 

Barely pulling on the reins, Yukimura Keiko slowed down her horse to the trot. She kept Yusuke in almost perfect control as he cleared the two jumps. The bay{2} reluctantly cantered after completing the remnant of the course. He was halted where the other three girls were waiting to jump, or to see the others finish.

Immediately a large chestnut{3} horse, Kazuma, laid his ears back when he saw Yusuke. But he was nudged away when Genkai told his rider that they were next up.

Shizuru Kuwabara, one of the few able to keep Kazuma at least semi-attentive, gave him a sharp tap with her crop{4}. It took him a second or two, but he began trotting at a decent pace. Kazuma didn't seem like the best horse for jumping, but really all he needed was a bit of a nudge in the right direction occasionally. Both literally and figuratively.

He finished the course with only a few screw-ups, and Shizuru had him walk back to where he was before. Again he "greeted" Yusuke with his pulled back ears. The bay was about to answer Kazuma with a quick nip, but Keiko saw his intention and moved him to another spot, near the other two horses in their lesson.

Botan Hikari, who had gone through the course already, looked on with a slight giggle. These types of events were not uncommon. And they usually ended with Kazuma earning a cuts and bruises, while Yusuke escaped unscathed. Well, not entirely. Keiko would give him a light smack on the nose, which for some odd reason seemed to hurt him more than anything Kazuma could do. 

She ran her hand along the silky neck of her own mount, Kurama. The red roan{5} was one of the most advanced school horses. He wasn't out of control all the time, like Hiei could be, but he did have his moments. It was during those times that Botan would often find herself suddenly dumped on the ground, and the riderless Kurama galloping happily around the ring. 

"Okay, girls. Time to dismount and get your butts outta here!"

Genkai's words jolted the blue-haired girl out of her thoughts. All four of them got off their horses and led them out of the ring, with Keiko and Yusuke coming first, and Koorime Yukina with Hiei bringing up the rear. 

"All of you can take your horses to the pasture, except for Hiei, as usual. He'll be taken to his pen." With that final command, Genkai wheeled herself to the main office.

The black pony twitched an ear at his name. Though he was half as tall was Kazuma, Hiei had a temperament that was not to be messed with. Botan was even somewhat afraid of him. 

Yet though he had succeeded in throwing more than half of those who rode him, at Yukina's first touch he was as docile as a lamb. While he was walked to the barn, the normally sullen Hiei gently rubbed his nose gently in Yukina's hair. The girl smiled and reached up to stroke his star, the only bit of white on his dark coat.

Yusuke, meanwhile, had other ideas. Soon, Keiko felt a soft muzzle and warm breath on her rear. "Yusuke, you jerk!" she said, face taking on a slight tinge of red. Yusuke may have been a horse, but Keiko would've sworn that he actually enjoyed doing that solely to annoy her. 

She softly smacked on the neck to reprimand him. At this, Yusuke's cocky countenance quickly changed as he gave Keiko a reproachful look. (A/n: Hard to believe, but yes, a horse can have a personality as strong as his.)

As the four girls untacked{6} their horses, (or pony, in Yukina's case) they heard a shrill whinny pierce the air. It seemed like it came from the pasture. Kurama's head shot up and he gave an answering call. Keiko laughed. "That's Kuronue all right!" she said to the others. Botan giggled. 

Kuronue was one of those few who were close to Kurama. A spirited black appaloosa, he shared many traits with the red roan. He was used with only the most advanced riders. Today was one of the rare occasions he wasn't at a show prancing his stuff for everyone to see and admire.

A few minutes or so later, Keiko, Shizuru, and Botan brought their horses to the pasture, while Yukina kept Hiei in his large stall for obvious reasons.

Upon entering the pasture, Kurama gave a gentle nicker to a small brown Arabian in the corner. She replied shakily. Shiori was the gelding's mother. Unfortunately, she was also very old, around 30. Though it may not seem like much to humans, (A/N: Or at least to most humans) it is, for horses, what 80 is for humans. 

The elderly mare slowly walked over to her son. It was practically unheard of for a mother to still have a close relationship with her colt after so many years, but hey, it could happen. Kurama tenderly nuzzled Shiori, then broke away from her when he felt a nip on his rump. The roan turned and cantered after a certain black appaloosa. Kuronue was being pursued with an expression of pure mischief on his handsome features.

"Look at them go," Keiko remarked as she took Yusuke's halter off and watched him start to bait Kazuma, who accepted the challenge. Shizuru nodded, closing the gate behind Keiko and herself. "Yeah. Kazuma can be a dumbass, but he really tries hard. Sometimes."

Botan, who was waiting for them at the barn door, grinned. "Emphasis on _sometimes_, right?" The older girl half-smiled. "Right."

As they walked to the office, the three of them noticed Yukina leaving the school barn. She didn't say anything to them, just continued to her car. (A/N: Oops, forgot to tell you guys their ages. Keiko and Yukina are sixteen, Botan is seventeen, and Shizuru is eighteen.)

"You know, Yukina is always so quiet," Keiko commented. "She comes here alone, and she doesn't speak much, too."

Shizuru crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, you'd feel that way if you just moved here less than a month ago. She probably doesn't have many friends, and do you guys remember her first lesson with us?"

They all remembered very well. Yukina was riding Kazuma, and though he listened to her much more than he did anyone else, besides Shizuru of course, he had tripped right before the jump. To collect himself, the chestnut stopped right in front of the crossrail{7} so abruptly that Yukina went flying over his neck.

"But everyone falls a lot, and she even laughed it off," Botan said.

The older girl shrugged. "Well, she might have been embarrassed. After all, would you want to make a fool of yourself in front of people who you had never met before?"

"I guess you're right," Keiko said.

So Botan, being the ever-friendly person that she was, went over to Yukina. 

"Hello there," she greeted her brightly, smiling like she had gotten straight A+s on her report card. Yukina gave a small grin in return. 

"Hi. You're Botan, right?" she asked politely. 

Botan smiled even more. You could practically see the sunlight shining from her. "Indeed I am. Say, would you like to hit a mall with us today?"

The girl's scarlet eyes lit up. "I would love to!"

*

{1} – Two jumps vertical to one another, near the rail of the ring.

{2} – A color of horse when it is reddish brown with a black mane, tail, and legs.

{3} – Another color of horse. It basically is red-gold.

{4} - It's like a short whip, but the string at the end is replaced by a small leather loop. Don't worry! It doesn't hurt the horse.

{5} – Yet another color of horse. It is a mixture of rusty red and white, so the fur is two colors at once. Or something like that.

{6} – Taking off the saddle, bridle, and whatever else a horse wears, which is called tack. Tacking up is when you put the gear on.

{7} – A jump when two poles are crisscrossed. It looks something like an X in between two 1s.

I have a hypothetical situation for you. 

You scroll down this page, to see a small blue-green box in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Suddenly you have this uncontrollable to desire to click on it. So you do, and you type in a review for the authoress of this fic. The next day, you find out that there is another chapter of "Blue Ribbons" waiting for you to read. Well guess what? If you make this scenario happen, then, then I will make another chapter happen? Deal?


	2. Memories

Five reviews for only one chapter! This is a new record for me! Thank you, all my faithful reviewers! Please check out my other fics. Here are my replies to you:

Hioki: Whoa, I think from now on I will call you my best reviewer ever! I know a horse that acts a little bit like Hiei, but he is more like a fox. He looks like one too! Also I know a horse that acts exactly like Yusuke. Weird, ne?

Lady Lanyara Artemisan: I put Yukina's last name as Jaganshi because that's the way I heard it was. So now, to clear everything up, I changed it to Koorime. Oh, and Kurama and all the other male horses are geldings because, well, almost all the boy horses I know are geldings. Except for Charlie, who was half a stallion at one point. Plus I heard that stallions are usually real jerks. But I could be incorrect.

Dreammaster2411: Yay! Another person who likes wolves! Thanks for the compliments! At my sleepaway camp, there are two pairs of mothers and daughters, but they act like they've never met.

Arahazi: Thank you! Well, now I'm updating.

Luna Stargazer: Gomen nasai, but I haven't seen the second YYH movie. Heck, I haven't seen any YYH for over three months. If I do see it though, I will try to add Hinageshi later on.

Ok, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. SO DON'T SUE ME YOU EVIL LAWYERS! *growls*

*

Keiko couldn't help but smile at Yukina's look of wonder as the four girls walked through The Tokyo Mall. "Hey, haven't you ever been to a mall before?" she asked the small girl jokingly. 

"Yes, but not one so very big!" Yukina replied. 

Botan had them stop at a medium-sized store on the bottom floor. It bore the sign, "Masho Tack and Supplies". 

"This is it!" she said triumphantly. "It's the new tack shop they opened yesterday."

As they went inside, even Shizuru was in awe. Polished saddles gleamed on racks protruding from the walls. Bridles and halters hung patiently next to them, waiting to be slipped on a head. Bits and stirrups shone silver, while crops and lunge whips stood at attention in their barrel. In the back they could see a handful of kids looking through the model horses and books. Riding clothes in a rainbow of colors displayed themselves on shelves and manikins. Pictures of various horses jumping and racing took up most of the free space on the walls.

"Whoa…" Botan said.

"This…" added Keiko.

"Is…" continued Yukina.

"Heaven," concluded Shizuru.

They were woken from their rapture at the sound of a friendly voice behind them. "Hello, ladies. What can I do for you today?"

The four of them turned to see a young man of about eighteen, with flaming red hair and a mischievous grin. He wore a white T-shirt bearing the store's logo on it, with faded blue jeans. "I'm Jin, one of the employees," he said, bowing.

Slightly startled, the girls bowed back, and introduced themselves. 

"So, are you ladies looking for anything in particular?" Jin asked.

Shizuru, Keiko, and Yukina shook their heads, but Botan nodded. "Do you know where the hair nets are?" the blue-haired girl questioned.

"Right over here, if you would please follow me," Jin said. 

He headed past a cluster of clothes racks, and stopped at a space next to the barrel of whips. Below a few rows of helmet covers there were several packets of hair nets. "Sorry, but I don't think we have them in blue," Jin said, grinning.

Botan picked up a packet of black ones. "It's fine. Besides, I like this color anyway."

"Suit yourself, Miss Botan," Jin replied. Near the back, a little boy knocked over some glass figurines. "If you'd excuse me ladies, I have to attend to something," he said quickly, then went over to the accident.

"Why do you need a hair net, Botan?" Keiko asked as Jin left. 

Her friend stared at her. "Don't you remember? We have a show in less than a month!"

They remembered all right. In preparation, the three of them were trying to surpass their limits in every lesson, not that they didn't do that on a regular basis. 

The show was at Makai Hill, the rival of their barn, Reikai Ranch. Keiko, Shizuru, and Botan would be participating in it not only to win, but also to take back their winning streak. Makai Hill had been receiving the golden trophy for over twenty years now. However, Reikai Ranch won 53 times in a row before then. Before the accident.

At the mention of the upcoming event, Keiko turned to Yukina. "Are you entering the show?" she asked.

The crimson-eyed girl gave a small shrug. "I don't know. I was thinking about it."

"Why don't you do it? We're all in it, so you would have friends there," Botan said enthusiastically.

__

Friends? Yukina thought. Then she looked at the three others, who were waiting for her answer. They didn't seem like people who would hang out with her once, then go back to teasing her. They hadn't made fun of her when she fell from Kazuma at that first lesson. _Yes, they are my friends._

"I'll do it."

*

Genkai sat in her wheelchair, watching the horses and ponies in the pasture. The sky was painted magenta and lavender with the sunset. Hints of indigo and violet peeked out of the horizon, across from the last of the sun's golden fire.

Yusuke walked up to the old woman. Genkai held out her weathered hand and softly clucked. He sniffed her palm in hopes of an evening carrot or apple. Finding nothing, he gently nudged her hand and went back to his spot by the crab apple tree. 

__

Yusuke, Genkai thought. _You have such potential. You could be an unbelievable horse. But you choose to be stubborn and cooperate with only the right people. Heck, make that the right _person_. That Keiko girl seems to be the only one you really listen to. If I was to ride you even just for a half an hour, you'd know who was boss. You would be able to surpass even _him.

But how was she to ride anyone now, in a wheelchair?

The elderly woman touched the armrest of the cold metal contraption bitterly. She remembered the day she had become like this. 

It had started out as a normal show at Makai Hill. She was doing perfectly, and now was coming up to the final jump of the course. Every detail of that day was etched into Genkai's mind. The heat of summer causing her pink hair to stick to her damp neck, the horse under her glistening with sweat, the sharp thud of hoof on wood, the shock and pain as both she and her mount fell over that one jump, that one oxer. 

Then she had woken up in the hospital, numb and unfeeling from the waist down. Genkai remembered the doctors telling her that when the horse had tripped over the jump, and fallen on her. Those same doctors told her that she would never be able to walk again. That from her hips to her toes she was paralyzed.

__

It was the last day that I saw you, Toguro. Genkai thought. _The last day I'd ever see you again._

She pictured the dark bay's 15.9 hh{1} frame, his muscular limbs and neck, the way he was stern yet gentle at the same time. At first her mental photograph was fuzzy, but after a few seconds it grew clearer. This was something she had done every evening since she had last seen him, so his image wouldn't fade from her sharp mind.

With a sigh that for once she didn't bother to conceal, Genkai turned and wheeled herself back to the office.

As the sun became less and less visible, the horses soon were dark silhouettes against the grass. When the sky was completely dyed midnight blue, they could barely be seen, the silver rays of the half moon just barely tracing their still forms.

*

{1} – Horses are measured in "hands", which are about four inches. 

Once again, here's a thank you for everyone who reviewed me. 

Remember the box. It calls to you. Answer it. Give in to it. Review. 


	3. New Arrivals!

Me: Hiya guys! *mood changes and breaks down into sobs* I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It took so long for me to update again! I had a huge case of writer's block, but a few days ago I got huge inspiration and I finally got to work on this chapter. But before I get to the good stuff, here are the responses to my wonderful, spectacular, fantastic, uplifting, encouraging, - 

Hiei: I think they get the point, baka.

Me: - reviewers. 

LuckySpirit: Yah, I ride horses at Fox Hill Farms. I don't have my own horse, but I love to ride a psychopath of a Thoroughbred named Mikey. The breeds for Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke, and Kazuma? Well, I think that Yusuke is a Quarter Horse. Kurama is a big mix, but he definitely has Arab blood because Shiori is a full Arabian. He also is part Thoroughbred, but you'll find out more about that later. Hiei is no particular breed. I went through a book my friend has on horse breeds, and I can't really see him as any of them. Kazuma is part Suffolk Punch, part Quarter Horse. I know a horse that is like that and he is exactly like Kuwabara, just a little more cowardly.

Hioki: My best reviewer! I have other plans for Yukina, but good suggestion. Thank you for telling me who Hinageshi was. By the way, this is for all you guys. **_I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EPISODES PAST THE ONE BEFORE KARASU VS. KURAMA_. But you'll find that I'll put in characters from beyond that point in the series, like Mukuro and Raizen. That's because I've gone to different sites on YYH when I was bored and found out about what happens after the Dark Tournament. As a result, this fic will be very screwed. If I get those characters wrong, please tell me.** Oh yah, I dropped out of the school play, so I MIGHT be able to update more than I have in the past. But sessha's not making any promises, though.

Dreammaster2411: WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank yous for all the lovely compliments! I've redone the last two chapters, to now Toguro is 15.9 hh. Is that ok? I know how you feel about the whole updating thing. I don't care if you're insane, because so am I! I'm obsessed with Battousai and Full Youkai Inuyasha! And I love to talk to myself, it helps me figure out answers to tough questions like, "Why is Karasu like that?" Hey, I might write a fic about that…

Hiei: Kuso, not another unfinished story she writes in Social Studies.

Me: Yup, stay tuned for it! And to finish up what I was going to say to Dreammaster2411-san, when people ask why you talk to yourself, just tell them, "Because myself is a nice person to talk to." Marshmallows are in league with the Anti-Evil Midgets!

Hyper katana: Whoa, you reviewed me A LOT!!! Thank you for the ideas, but this fic is going to stay as normal and close to regular life as possible.

Kaeru Soyokaze: Domo arigatou gozaimasu for reviewing my fic!

Yaoi-Rules: Thank yous for reviewing my humble story. Sessha appreciates it, de gozaru.

Hiei: There she goes again with Kenshin's catchphrases. Baka ookami.

Me: Yup, I'm a dumb wolf, and proud of it!

Hiei: Just shut up and get on with the damn fic!

*

Hiei (A/n: Well what do you know, speak of the devil…) flicked an ear back as he was asked to canter. The black pony kept trotting, but after a few sharp nudges from Yukina's outside leg{1}, he leapt into the gait.

"Make him go faster. This is Hiei, not Kazuma," Genkai called.

He exploded forward.

"Collect him, Yukina, collect him!"

Swishing his tail moodily, Hiei sank down into a canter, barely going faster than he had at the trot.

"Too slow."

So it went. A few minutes later, Yukina managed to get Hiei into a suitable gait.

Genkai studied the girl critically. At their lesson a few days ago, Hiei had been as angelic as Yukina herself. True, a horse or pony could have good or bad days, but it didn't seem to be entirely Hiei who was acting up.

"Bring him back down to the walk," the elderly instructor said.

As her student complied, Genkai noticed that Yukina was stiff and tense from the waist up. The girl's façade was slightly grim, with her jaw set like a solid rock. Yet there was a trace of something else in her features. Sorrow, maybe pain?

*

Yukina hung up Hiei's black leather halter on its hook and walked back to her car. (A/n: Yes, she can drive. So can the rest of them.) Genkai was about to wheel herself up to the scarlet-eyed girl, but another figure approached her student.

"Hey, Yukina!" the tall teenage boy called. He was leading a flea-bitten gray{2} who looked a little clueless.

__

Koenma, Genkai thought. _I doubt there'd be enough time for me to talk to her after he starts rambling. Probably going to ask her a favor, the way he's acting so pleasant._ She wheeled away to her next lesson in one of the outdoor rings.

"Hello, Koenma," Yukina replied politely to the son of Reikai Ranch's owner.

"Say, I was just wondering if you'd mind help mucking out a bit today. We have two new horses coming, and half the stable hands have their day off."

She brightened up considerably. "Sure, I'd love to!"

"Great," Koenma grinned. "There are going to be three others with you. Botan, Keiko, and Shizuru I think. Just go into the school barn." He led his horse up to another outside ring.

Yukina put her helmet in the front seat of her car, closing the door and going to the small school barn.

Reikai Ranch had three barns. The school barn for the horses used in most lessons like Yusuke and Kazuma, the privately owned or leased barn, and a smaller version of that, where Koenma and his father's horses were housed. There were also three riding rings. The bigger outdoor one was used most for jumping and the smaller ring were usually where beginners rode. Their huge indoor ring was a safe haven for the dedicated riders who continued throughout all kinds of weather. A smaller indoor ring was going to be constructed in the near future.

The other girls in her lesson were already in the small lease barn, armed with pitchforks and a wheelbarrow. Botan looked up and grinned when she saw the small girl come in.

"Hiya, Yukina-chan! Are you going to help us?" she chirped.

The newcomer nodded.

"Sugoi! Just grab a pitchfork and get to work!" Botan pointed to a rack with the tools 

hung up on it.

*

"Man, this place is a pigsty!" Shizuru commented, dumping manure into the wheelbarrow.

Keiko paused in her work to wipe the seat off her face. "True, but think how it would look if it wasn't cleaned out after a whole week."

"Good point," Botan said, wrinkling up her nose.

"At least we're almost done," Yukina commented.

Shizuru took a moment to fully survey their work. The small school barn was almost perfectly clean, except for a few piles of soiled hay here and there. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I wonder what the new horses will look like," Keiko wondered aloud.

As is on cue, they heard the sound of a large vehicle being pulled into the driveway. The four girls abandoned their unfinished work and ran out to see a huge truck with a trailer parking itself in front of the office.

Two odd looking men stepped out of the truck. One with spiky blond hair was making angry gestures, while the other, his hair dyed blue and in a Mohawk with two pigtails at the nape of his neck, seemed to be trying to reason with his companion while struggling to stay on two feet. Shizuru, Botan, Keiko, and Yukina managed to catch what they were saying.

"C'mon, Suzuki," the drunk-looking man said. "At least we didn't get pulled over three times like that day when - "

"How many damn tickets have you gotten in your life, you alcoholic bastard!" Suzuki snarled.

"Well, lessee here… there was that first day I started driving… then after I was going back from that bar… and that week when they got me five times…" he counted on his fingers, swaying a little.

"THAT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION!"

"Oh," the blue-haired man stopped. "What does rhetorical mean?" he asked.

Suzuki slapped his forehead. "Goddammit, Chuu. Didn't you even finish school?"

"Well, it wasn't like they taught me kuso, so I probably skipped more than half of high school."

More ungentlemanly words were heard from the blond. 

Koenma, done with his daily ride on Jorge, came out and spoke with the man with the Mohawk, now known as Chuu.

"Are they both here?" he asked. A curious nicker emanated from the trailer, followed by the sound of a pony's stamping hoof.

"Both safe and sound," Chuu assured him.

"We hope," Suzuki added.

Koenma raised an eyebrow. "Let's see them, then."

The other two quickly obliged, and soon enough two stunning equines were brought out. Botan gasped and her rose-colored eyes widened to an almost impossible size. The expressions of her friends were much the same, but to a lesser degree. 

One horse was a dreamlike dark bay Arabian, the slight breeze toying with her black mane. Her soft mahogany eyes peered out at them from under thick lashes, as if recently awoken from sleep. With a light shake of her fine head, the mare seemed to become fully aware of her new surroundings.

The other one was all but the opposite. She was a bright chestnut spark of energy and alertness. Ears going every which way, bright eyes trying to take in anything and everything at once. She raised her tiny head, whinnying to no one but anyone who would answer. 

Three raucous calls replied, Kuronue, Kurama, and Yusuke.

Chuu grinned. "The dark one's Ayame, and the little filly's Hinageshi. They seem to be settling in all right, ne?"

"Let's hope they're not hurt or mentally scarred from your driving," Suzuki said.

Koenma surveyed Reikai Ranch's new residents. "Actually, you have a good point. I'll have Genkai check how they're doing." He noticed the four girls for the first time. "Why don't one of you go get her?"

Keiko nodded and set off towards the nearest ring, but the familiar creak of a wheelchair came from not far off. 

Genkai came to a halt in front of them. "Ok, ok, let's see the new ones," she said.

*

Yayz!!!!!!!!!! I'm done with the third chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BTW, yes, there is going to be romance in this fic.


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